Refrigerator construction



Apr. 17, 1923. 1,452,272 H. J. GwYl-:R

REFRIGERATOR CONSTRUCTION 'Filed July` 3o l1920 s sheets-sheet` 1 'llbl wumtoz H. J. GWYER REFRIGERATOH CONSTRUCTION A Filed July so, 1920 s sheets-sheet 2 .f6 45 5I I vwwtofc Patented Apr. 17, 1923.`

HERBERT J. GWYER, OF YONKERS, NEW YORK.

IQEFRIGERATOR Application led July 30,

To all whomzt may concern Be it' known that I, HERBERT J. GWYR, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Yonkers, Vestchester county, New York, have invented a new and useful Refrigerator Construction, of which the follow- `may be provided with-a solid or sectional llining'.

Post- Fig. 7 is a fragmentary detail vview ofa in is aspecification.

y invention relates to a refrigerator construction.

It is an object-of my invention to providea knock-down refrigerator having highly insulated walls.

It is a further object to provide a refrigerator in which the parts can be made of standardized cross-section for reducingl the cost of construction. l

.lt is a further object to provide'a simple and eilicient corner fastenlng` means.

'invention resides further in the details of construction hereinafter described, and specified in the claims.

My invention in its preferred form includes a cabinet comprising six units, namely,- top and bottom and four sides. These unitsv with the possible exception of the front are insulated in a very efficient manner without. unduly increasing the wall thickuesses. The corners of the top and bottom units are secured together by means of an `improved corner fastening, and all of the units are held together in cabinet formay tion by meansrof four `rods. The' cabinet ln the drawings which show merely a pre-V v` ferred form of my invention.

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a refrigerator embodying features of myinvention. I

Fig. 2 1s a vertical sectional view of the construction shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of in the top removed. y

lfig. 4 is abottomJ plan view.of the top showing an improved corner fasteningv in one corner.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail perspective view of one end of a front corner post.

Fig. 6 is a similar view of a rear corner Fig; 1 havportion of the front unit.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view of the details shown in Fig.7.

= ing a, solid lining in place:l

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary detail view of a section of the' bottom and'. one sidek showf Extending CONSTRUCTION.

1920. serial No. 400,208.

10 isa View similar to Fig. 9 but showing a slightly modified construction -with a sectional lining.

Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view through one corner of the cabinet.

includes the two posts 6-7 which are secured together as will be later described.v

Any deslred or suitable number of doors such as 8-9 may be provided, and these doors are preferably hinged to the corner posts 6-7. Suitable abutments or jambsto be hereinafter described are provided for the doors.

In the form shown, the doors substantially fill the spaces between the'posts and thefefore no insulated panels have`been shown in the front unit. It is, however, to be understood that should a different arrangement of doors be provided,the space not filled by doors would be filled by suitable insulated panels.

` Each of the front corner posts shown in detail in Fig. 5, is substantially rectangular in general outline. lEach post is provided .with an upstanding projection 13 to be engaged by .the top or bottom panel unit, as will be later described. In one side of each front corner post is a relatively wide shallow groove 14 for receiving one of the side units. inwardly and preferably from the same side is a"relative`ly narrow groove 15 to accommodate the tie-rod for holding the parts together. On the other inner side of each front corner post are two grooves 16-17. The inside corner 0f the post is 'rabbeted or cut away as at 18.

The two front corner 'posts 6-7 may be secured4 together by means of tie beams 19-20 which 4are of substantially duplicate crosssection. The tie beams may be provide with upstanding projections 21 which fit into corresponding grooves in the top and bottom frames. AThese tie beamsmay be secured as bymeans of screws to the upper stantially flush with the upstanding projections such as 13. Secured between the corner posts at a suitable distance between the ends,

there maybe a cross beam 22 which is preferably provided with tongues and grooves l to it the grooves 16--17-18 formed in the corner posts. The crossbeam 22 maybe provide with a Series of longitudinal grooves 23, and the inside corners may be rabbeted or cut away as at 24. Between one tie beam 19 and cross. beam 22, there-is proi vided a. vertical beam A25. Thisvertical beam is provided with tongues 26 which tinto the grooves 23 in the cross beam. The opposite end of the vertical beam is secured to a tie beam 19 as by means of a screw 27 (see Fig. 3) and an upstanding flan e28 may abut the sidepf the t1e beam 19. lhe vertical beam 25 is of the. same cross section as the cross beam 22. Fillet members 29 -29 vare rfitted into the grooves in the cross and section as the front corner posts and are sd beam is secured to the for the top portions is held a arrangedthat the relatively wide groove corresponding to the groove 14 on the front corner post, faces the roove 14 when the cabinet is assembled.. n upstanding proection 321is provided upon each end of each ack corner post. Top and bottom cross beams 33-34 are secured to the back corner posts and have tongues and grooves 35-36 as shown in Fig. 3 for engaging and interlocking with corresponding parts on the back corner posts. The top and bottom beams 33-34 are provided with grooves 38-7-38 and the inner corners are rabbeted or cut away as at 39 at the edges.

Secured vtothe corner posts intermediate their ends in a cross beam 37. This cross ts by vtongue and groove connections s' ar to that described andbottom cross beams. The beam 37 between the back corner posts is of the same cross section as the beam 22 between the front'corner posts. The, crossbeaml 37 provided' upon opposite Ysides thereof with grooves -40 'corresponding to the grooves 38-39 in the top andbottom beams, and the opposite inner edges are. rabbeted or cut away as at 111-41. It will be seen that the grooves in the cross beams-in the'backpanel unit correspond in number and spacing with the grooves in the back corner posts Secured in the grooves in the cross beams' and back corner posts are spaced panel members 42-453 and in the rabbeted or cut away panel 4l -These panels may be of an Eslutable material, but are preferably of t e so-ealled Compoboard or other similar laminated structure. Between the panel members just described and piaferably slightly spaced therefrom are insu,- la Ll panels 45 of felt or other suitable ma- I will be Seen that due to the lamieture of the'panel membersA and but it is obvious that Maaate the insulating members andthev air .aces

that avery ecient insulated` wall w' sult.

7 flhetop and bottom members are of substantially the same construction, and therefore only one of-theselrmembers will be described. The top member is made up of a msulatin members similar to those described ir the back unit are provided in the .top and bottom units.

The frame members are preferably secured together by means of an improved corner fastening as shown in Figs. 4 and 12. This corner fastening may be conveniently made of cast iron but any other suitable material may obviously be used. The corner f.

fastening consists of a substantiall angular portion 47-48 and a flange 49 is," ormed at one edge of the body portion. Each corner of the body portion may be rabbeted out or cut away as at 50 for a purpose to be hereinafter described. VSuitable apertures such as 51 may be providedin the fastening for securing the same to the framemember's. An aperture 52 preferably extends through the e to be Hangeor body portion for a pur 1s applied described. The cor'ner fastemng to the frame and the body portion 47-48 extends down into the deep grooves-5354 while the ilange portion 49 rests in the relatively wider groove 55. Suitable means sach as screws 56 secure the corner fastening .to

the' frame members and securely hold the y In the drawings,

latter rigi y to ether. I but o ne corner astenirg has been shown,

uplicate fastenings would be. provided 'in each corner.

In V'the grooves lsuehas 53-54, l prefer to l place seahn members 56k of felt or similar material. e ends of the'felt strips lit beneath the rabbeted or eut away portions of the corner fastening, and when the latter -is screwed down to the .pieces the sealing strips are securely held in `place in the grooves. Sidelmits such as 59 are pro- Vcomprise vided. Them units preferably grooved frames, oneframe. member being shown at 59' in Fig. 1l. The other frame member-s are of the same cross sectionas the one shown, nd itis therefore unnecessary to show-a com lete frame, The side, hack, top, and bottom are all insulated in-afsimilar manner, `and the description given for the back unit insulation construction willv suice for all. Y

' The cabinet may be lined iii' any suitablemanner. In Figs. 2, 9, and 11, I have shown a solid or seamless In 3, 4 ana 10,1 have Shown @sectional rf a sectional lining-is-tobe used the same will 58-59 and be securely held in place by t-he panel units when the latter are assembled in cabinet formation. As shown in Fig. -10, the bottom lining section may be made in the formvof a pan so that any moisture willy remain in the pan and not leak intoV the joints. As shown in Fig. 10, the upper panel in the bottom section ma be omitted and the pan or linin section will then come in proximity to the elt. Y

f When the parts are to be assembled, the bottom unit is set in place. The front and back units are next placed on the bottom unit with the cross beams and tie beams and projections on the corner posts, all fitting in the grooves in the bottom frame. The side units are next slid down the grooves in the corner posts and into the grooves in the bottom frame.l The top is then placed ver the thus far assembled units and the grooved frame fits over the ends of the corner posts and the ends of the units in a manner similar to that described lfor the bottom unit. Four rods such as 60-60 may then bepassed through apertures in the top through the hole 52 in the corner fastening, through the 'corner posts,'through the bottom frame, and

a nut may then 4be screwed on to the rod to 'hold-the parts securely in place. A similar means for securing the parts together has been disclosed in my co-pendingpapplication, Serial No. 383,346, filed May 22, 1920. When the parts are assembled, it will be seen that the inner panels of the top and bottom beams on the back and front sections and will be securely held in place.

The cabinet is supported upon legs such l as 61-62, and an apron such as 63 may be a separate application, Serial No. 398,976,

provided for closing the space between two of the legs to hide the pan usually provided under a refrigerator. This apron 63 may be swung upwardly to permitthe removal of the pan. The leg and apron construction just described forms no part of my present invention, but is made the subject matter of filed July 26, 1920.

While I have shown specific embodiments of my invention, I wish it to be understood that various changes and modifications may be made all coming within the scope of the appended claims. v

I claim:

1. In a construction of the character de scribed, a front panel vunit comprising corner posts, top and bottom tie beams secured to the upper and lower ends of said n posts, a cross beam secured to said posts intermediate the ends thereof, a vertical beam secured to said cross beam and to one of said vtogether to form a cabinet.

tie beams, fillet pieces secured to said cross and vertical beams and forming with said tie beams jambs for doors, a back panel unit including corner posts, side panel units, and top and bottom panel units fitting over the ends of and securing said panel parts 2. In a construction of the character described, a |back panel unit comprising two grooved corner posts having projections on the ends, top and bottom cross beams having tongues thereon fitting in grooves in said corner posts, insulating panels between said posts and cro beams, a front panel unit, side panel units, top and bottom panel units including last mentioned insulating panels and fitting over said first mentioned units for holding them together and forming a cabinet, one of said insulating panels abutting against one of said cross beams when the parts are assembled. Y.

3. In a construction of the character described, a front panel unit including two corner posts and tie beams, a back panel unit including two corner posts and end cross beams, top and bottom units including frames, said frames fitting over and curing said front and back units together,

a grooved cross beam between said back` corner posts and intermediate their ends, panel members fitting in said grooves and between said pos'ts, a cross beam secured to one of said front corner posts, a vertical beam secured to said last mentioned cross beam and to one of said tie beams, said grooved cross beam in the back unit and said cross beam secured to one front post being of the same cross section.

4. In a construction such as set claim 3 and ay fillet piece having tongues thereon fitting into the grooves in said cross beam secured to the' front post and forming a jamb or abutment for a door.

5. In a construction of the character described, a front panel unit including two corner posts, top and bottom tie beams secured to said corner posts for securing the same together, a back panel unit including cornerposts, top and bottom cross beams lsecured to said lastmentioned posts, panel forth Ain i members between said cross beams and.l

posts, a pair of side -panel units engaging said posts and fitting between said front and back units, top and bottom Iframes fitting over and securing said units together, said frames Having grooyes on the inslde thereof and cut away portlons at the inner edges,

d panel boards in said grooves and cut away portions, the panel boards in said cutaway portions abuttingsaid tie beams and cross beams when the units are assembled.

6. In a construction such as defined in' claim 5, said top and bottom frames having grooves in another side which fit over said' i side units.

In a construction such as definedV in claim` 6, saidframes having grooves in the bottoms of said last mentioned grooves and adapted to carry sealing members.

l haracter described, a front panel unit including corner posts, top and bottom tie beams permanently secured to the upper. and lower ends of said Vposts for permanently securing the latter together, a cross beam secured to one S. In' a construction of he Y of said posts intermediate the ends thereof,

s sai and groove connection with and securing Y all the units will besaidfront backand 'side panels together, and rods for securing id top and bottom units to each other at t e corners, whereby held together in cabinet formation.

9. in a construction of the chmeter Adescribed, a sectionalrame having a groove A natascia in one side and another groove in the bot tom of said first mentioned groove and acorner fastening fitting in said last mentioned groove, and having a flange t'wg in said first mentioned groove, and secur n, to said sectional frame for. holding thes partstogether.

10. In a construction such as set forth in claim 9, said cornerfastening, ha' l 1 a cut away portion for receiving a member between the fastening and the bottom of the groove. t

11. As an article Vof manufacture, a

corner fastening comprising an angular body and a lateral fiange extending therefrom, said angular body being cut out at the ends.

12. In a construction of the character described, -four side units, ooved top andbottom units receiving sai side units, eachV of said to and bottom. units including a sectional ame, corner astenings .in the ooves in said top and bottom units and ving apertures therethrough and roda passing through said apertures and throughsome'of said side units for securing the to units thereto. K Y

RBERT J.' GR.

.and bottom together and securing the si e 

